The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
I found these at the Real Canadian SuperStore up in Richmond, BC a while back. I’ve been quite surprised how good this very, well, boring packaged range is. It all ges to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, or noodles by it’s wrapper. I’m reviewing this one on Canada Day! Let’s give it a try!
Here’s one that comes from a reader named Brett – thank you! Check it out!
I thought in honor of the spooky holiday Halloween, I’d do a little roundup of images and videos from past and present involving things that seemed fitting. Eat, drink and be scary!
Here’s one sent in by Steven – thanks, man! I rarely get any Vietnamese varieties! Let’s check it out.
My buddy Paul in Australia and I met when he mentioned this one on the facebook page. ‘Have you tried this?’ I found it at a local HMart – he tried the bowl version – I ound botht he pack and the bowl. It sounds good – I like kimchi a lot. I like how often they say real on the package – no dude, it’s real – it’s really really real.
I figured I needed something scary for this pairing of Halloween varieties and so here’s something scary. I have no clue how truly spicy this one might be. I’m hoping it’s not going to kill my gut. This will have not only the cooking video at the bottom but the mukbang where I scarf the whole thing down if I can. Well, let’s see if I can handle it.
I’ve known about this one for a while, but I was finally able to score some – and what better time to roll it out than for Halloween! I’m hpoing it’s good – I mean, when you look at this, your first thought (at least mine) is gimmick – but then again what we find inside looks fascinating – blue noodles! Let’s take a look and see how it tastes!
This one was in a Ramen Trunk subscription box.These boxes are full of extremely high end varieties that you’ll never find in the United States or anywhere outside Japan! Check out this link and use coupon code RAMENRATER20OFF for 20% off any single box or subscription!
Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. Pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out.
Usually, this is a summer list, coming out late July or early August. No more. Why? A couple of reasons – first, I’ve been busy. The whole diet and exercise thing has kind of taken over my life – which is good and a pain at the same time. I do a LOT of walking – often 15 miles in a day. This takes a lot of time and so there’s that. The other reason is that I’ve heard many ask why this list doesn’t come later in the year when it’s colder.
This one comes from Zenpop.jp – a subscription box service. If you want to check out their boxes and get one, use coupon code RAMENRATER for a discount. Here’s what they have to say about this one – “The Cup Star came out on January 18th in 1973. This limited flavor is made to celebrate the Cup Star’s 44th anniversary. Some members from the idol group Nogizaka48 are printed on the label to give a special touch to the product, and you might see some of their printed autographs when you open the lid. Enjoy the combination of chicken and butter and this shio (salt) based ramen and contains slightly chunky potatoes along with cabbage, corn, and carrots. If you are a Nogizaka48 fan you should save the container after using it!”
I got three different version of this up in Canada. After a little translation work, it looks to be Jjajang
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ‘This is called geikikara’ (extremely hot); however, it’s not as hot as it thinks it is. We bet you will like this even if you are not a big fan of spiciness. The rich tonkotsu soup contains delicious ma-yu (burnt sesame oil and garlic), and it creates an irresistable smell for your appetite. The unique octagonal form of the box is to let it stand out from other noodles.’
Here’s the second of the Teishi varieties I received recently. The first one was truly exceptional – curious how this one’s going to go – let’s find out!
I thought to continue this series of Prison Ramen Burrito Recipes that you couldn’t get in prison since you can’t get these varieties, the next logical step would involve Shin Ramen/Ramyun. I ended up with the standard Shin Ramen as well as Shin Black in this one. It ended up being an enormous monstrosity!
I’ve been wanting to try this one for a great while. Happily, they were sent along by my new contact at Paldo! Thank you very much! This one screams mukbang to me but as some of you might know already, mukbang is something that’s getting harder and harder for me these days. I used to eat a LOT mre, and now I exercise and my diet is much more regulated. To put it bluntly, scarfing down a big block of carbs is easy when you do it more often than I do now.But of course, I’ll give it a shot.
Sometimes it can be tough to get my little girl to cooperate with an unboxing but this time it went pretty well!
Dig on ramen? Check out one of these neat Zenpop boxes! Use the coupon code RAMENRATER for a discount!
So I’ve been getting a lot of neat samples from Paldo South Korea lately! This one’s a box with less export kind of things and more local styled varieties. Let’s check it out!
Here’s another one from a reader in Brazil – thank you very much! So from translation, it sounds like this is a cheese sauce noodle. It mentions ‘menos agua’ which means ‘less water,’ probably meaning this will have a thicker broth/sauce. Let’s give it a try!
This one was in a Ramen Trunk subscription box.These boxes are full of extremely high end varieties that you’ll never find in the United States or anywhere outside Japan! Check out this link and use coupon code RAMENRATER20OFF for 20% off any single box or subscription!
I found some info online about this one and had to use Google translation –
● Miso-tonkotsu ramen where you can feel the taste in the hotness, which is made by adding the spicy taste with the chili pepper and soya bean paste to the pork broth, and the richness with the miso and the flower bud. ● The soup is based on a hot pepper base with chili pepper and comes out with 2 kinds of rice miso and neri sesame seeds, and it has an exquisite and deep taste with the addition of the flavor of fish and the smell of florets. ● Excellent compatibility with soup and straight non-fried noodles. ● For hot taste, I blended several spices and seasonings, and I was particular about not only the hotness but also the quality of hotness. -It is a tonkotsu ramen that is unbearable for those who really like hot things. ● Please note that this is a very hard ramen.
Here’s something new from Tiawan from a brand I’ve not tried before. This one contains alcohol – yep – real booze! In the past I’ve tried varieties which contain different spirits and found them to be pretty good; the alcohol adds a nice bit of richness and flavor. Let’s give this one a try!
Here’s another one I found over at Boo Han Market in Edmonds, Washington. This new O’Taste brand seems to be cropping up a lot lately. It’s interesting as it’s not exactly a Nongshim variety, but it’s Taekyung Food & Processing, and I’m unsure exactly how they fit in with the Nongshim corporate structure. Maybe I should find out.
Here’s one from an Umai Crate – a subscription box from Japan. Use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount if you’d like to get one! Here’s what they have to say about it – ‘There’s a saying in Japan that long noodles are good luck for a long life! These soba (buckwheat) noodles are extra long for that reason! They also come with tasty crispy tempura balls, seaweed and crunchy shrimp.’
How do you feel? Yeah – you feel better knowing you can make a lovely burrito out of Indomie Mi Goreng now, don’t you? Well, watch the video and then you will. I’ll walk you through the incredibly easy process step by step.
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ‘The original ‘CupStar Shoyu’ was released in 1975 (Showa 50), and is now back in your kitchen as a reprinted edition so you can try the original version. Toppings are scrambled eggs, kamaboko, shrimp, and scallion. The standard version today has minced pork, but the original version did not include it; instead, it has kamaboko (a type of cured fish paste). It is one of the simplest, yet most enjoyable instant ramens out there. Please enjoy the original version and explore a ‘back to the past’ experience!’
This one was in a Ramen Trunk subscription box.These boxes are full of extremely high end varieties that you’ll never find in the United States or anywhere outside Japan! Check out this link and use coupon code RAMENRATER20OFF for 20% off any single box or subscription!
Found this one yesterday at Boo Han Market in Edmonds, Washington. So it had a sticker on the side which pulled a bit off but I can still make out the cooking instructions from what’s left. The sticker mentioned ‘Korean pasta’ which I found compelling. This is sujebi – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say –
I saw an article mentioning two new ‘super spicy’ noodle coup out of Japan. Well, I found one of them (actually I found both but this one was cheap on eBay while the other required buying six and that wasn’t happening). I keep seeing that this is a spicy Mongolian miso tanmen which sounded interesting.
I can’t thank my readers enough. When one went on a visit to Europe and kept updating m on varieties he’d found and asked if I wanted to try hem while I was there – that’s really jumbling. Thank you! This is from Spain. Barbecue chicken flavor. Let’s give it a go!
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ‘This is a brand new ramen just debuted. It’s an updated version of an original that came out in 1982. The simplicity of this bowl of ramen is just right and irresistible. You can taste the kikurage (wood ear mushroom) as one of the toppings. Kikurage is low in fat and calories but rich in protein and other nutrients and is a particularly good source of the B vitamins, too. The tonkotsu broth is excellent – can you taste the umami from the dried sardine? There are two chashu pork slices on top to satisfy your mouth!’
This one was in a Ramen Trunk subscription box.These boxes are full of extremely high end varieties that you’ll never find in the United States or anywhere outside Japan! Check out this link and use coupon code RAMENRATER20OFF for 20% off any single box or subscription!
I haven’t done a mee goreng variety in some time – at least it seems like it. This one sounds really good – I love curry and mee goreng as well so this should be good. Found this one in a shop at Lansdowne Centre up in Richmond, BC. Let’s get started!
Here’s one the folks at A-Sha sent over – thanks again! I like spicy and I like scallions a lot. Scallions (spring onion/green onion) are one of the things I always have to have on hand. Period. Let’s check these out!
This month, we have an exceptionally rad Umai Crate! Head over to https://bit.ly/UmaiCrate and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER – you’ll get a coupon and help us out – thanks!
Oh wow okay so I’ve been kind of hanging on to this carbonara topokki for a little while. Today seemed like a god day for this one. Is it? Well, let’s find out!
So I’m stoked – Chef Ron shot over a big box of samples! Things have changed though – these days the drink is missing, as are the vegetables. He promises that this is still an amazing product and I will still love it. Let’s find out!
Here’s a fancy variety that came from a Ramen Trunk. Ramen Trunk is a subscription service featuring monthly boxes of super premium ramen from Japan! Use coupon code RAMENRATER20OFF for a discount on your first order!
After years of searching, here we are. Where are we and what is this? This is a pack of instant noodles that is only for inmates in correctional facilities – prisons. I found them on eBay and asked fans on the Facebook page if they would be interested in purchasing them (it was a pack of 24 and I only needed a couple) and send me a couple. A fellow named Nick Bizarro was kind enough to take up the task, and thanks to him, here we are.
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ‘Let us introduce you to this brand new breakthrough ramen! Yaki Curry (grilled curry) is Moji-Harbor’s, in Fukuoka prefecture, beloved local dish, enjoyed for over 60 years. There are numbers of local cafes serving this dish around Moji-Harbor. The noodle itself is seasoned too which makes the soup blend in better with noodles. It’s a great combination of spicy curry soup with the mellow flavor of cheese.’
